Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 Tablet Review
The Galaxy Tab Active 2 is the successor to the 2015 Samsung Galaxy Tab Active. It is supposed to withstand even the most extreme and challenging conditions thanks to its extremely rugged case and included protective cover. Underneath its tough and ruggedized shell sits a mid-range tablet that would probably cost half as much without all the outdoor bells and whistles. However, given that comparably rugged 8-inch alternatives are all but nonexistent the premium for all this toughness is fair.
The competitors we have chosen for this review are devices with a similar price and configuration. Granted, none of these is even close to our review unit’s rigidity and robustness, but at least they are comparable in terms of performance. Thus, we have lined up the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017), the Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 8, and the Lenovo Tab 4 8 to compete against the Galaxy Tab Active 2. The Active 2’s predecessor is also part of our test group, as is the Apple iPad (2017).
Case
The entire tablet is surrounded by a black metal frame, the battery cover is made of plastic, and the display is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. By default, the device is IP68-certified provided that the rear cover is firmly and neatly attached and closed at all times in order to ensure dust- and water-tightness. The power button and volume rocker are located on the right-hand side, and we were particularly impressed by the physical buttons at the front. They are very firm and offer a nice and pleasant feedback even when wearing gloves. And while we’re on the subject of gloves: Of course the Galaxy Tab Active 2 can be used with gloves.
In addition to its IP68 certification the tablet is also MIL-STD 810G2-certified. In order to survive the fall tests that are part of this military standard testing procedure, the included protective cover needs to be installed. Only then is the device guaranteed to withstand falls from up to 4 ft unharmed. The cover also features a slot for the included S pen - it is pretty tight and requires some force to let go of the stylus. The included cover fits the Galaxy Tab Active 2 very well, and the tablet seems to be very robust and tough.
Connectivity
On the inside, the Exynos 7 Octa 7870 CPU and integrated Mali-T830 MP1 GPU provide enough oomph to run most 2016 Android games smoothly on medium settings. 3 GB of RAM is more than most competitors offer but a meager 16 GB of eMMC storage is on the low side and just as much as the 2015 predecessor was equipped with. At least the Active 2 offers expandable storage via MicroSD of up to 256 GB.
The tablet’s ports are pretty standard for an Android device except for the USB-C port which is only connected to a USB 2.0 bus internally. Accordingly, the port does not offer all features that would be possible with a faster connection but at least it supports USB-OTG. All ports are designed to withstand up to 30 minutes immersion in up to 1.5 m of water (around 5 ft).
Software
Out of the box, the Galaxy Tab Active 2 runs Android 7.1 with Samsung’s own in-house Experience UI version 8.5. The user interface differs only slightly from Vanilla Android, and experienced Android users should find their way around fairly quickly. In addition to a bunch of preloaded apps by Samsung, Google, and Microsoft, our review unit also had Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby installed. Unfortunately, so far Bixby has become more famous for its dedicated button on the Galaxy S8 rather than decent voice recognition and usefulness. Whether or not the Galaxy Tab Active 2 is ever going to receive an update to Android Oreo 8 was unknown at the time of testing.
Communication and GPS
In addition to 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and LTE, the Galaxy Tab Active 2 also supports Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC. Wi-Fi transfer speeds were very decent for a mid-range device, and only the Apple iPad (2017) managed to outperform the Active 2.
Cellular networks from GPRS to LTE Cat. 6 are fully supported, and the maximum theoretical LTE download speed is 300 Mbps. In addition to mobile data, the tablet can also utilize cellular networks for phone calls. Unfortunately, voice quality suffers noticeably from the protective case which, while equipped with the proper cutouts for the microphone and speaker, is simply too thick and muffles sounds.
The tablet’s GPS module is very fast and accurate. During our standard outdoor test, the difference in recorded track length between the Galaxy Tab Active 2 and the Garmin Edge 500 was only 70 m (total distance recorded: 6 km). The Active 2’s biggest weakness was inaccuracies in turns. At only 6 m, outdoor GPS accuracy was very decent. Unfortunately, indoor accuracy was much worse at 27 m. Overall, the Tab 2 was on a par with its competitors in this category.
Cameras
Like most tablets, the Active 2 is equipped with two cameras: a front-facing and a rear-facing camera. The latter features an 8 MP sensor (3264x2448) and overall image quality was fairly decent even in low light conditions albeit with some minor blurriness around the edges and lackluster colors. The 5 MP front-racing camera was even worse. It performed better under low light conditions than the rear shooter and its photos turned out even more pale, but at least it is more than adequate for video chats.
Two important factors for photo quality are sensor size and aperture, and the main camera’s sensor size is 1/4 inch with an aperture of f/1.9. While bigger sensors are better the opposite is true for the aperture: the smaller the fraction the better. Low-light conditions profit immensely from big sensors and low apertures. In return, small sensors and high apertures result in less light getting through the lens and consequently result in blurry, dark, and pale photos.
The main camera’s color representation was a bit too bright with blue colors definitely being the most accurate.
The 8 MP camera fared pretty well under normalized conditions in our lab. Our test photo turned out sharp and in focus, and it was only a little bit blurry towards the edges. Colors, however, were lackluster and the photo turned out too dark overall.
Accessories and Warranty
In addition to the charger and the tablet itself Samsung also includes the so-called “Protective Cover+” and the S pen in the box. The protective cover is required to ensure that the tablet is drop-proof and the S pen is a very convenient input device. The device supports “off memo”, a feature where notes can be taken even when the display is turned off.
As usual, the Galaxy Tab Active 2 comes with a one-year limited warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices & Handling
Just like on every tablet and smartphone, the virtual keyboard is a compromise. In portrait mode the keys are very small and easy to miss, and in landscape mode they are too far apart and hard to reach. A physical keyboard can be attached thanks to the POGO pins and the tablet obviously also supports Bluetooth keyboards. The Galaxy Tab Active 2 remains usable with gloves provided that the heightened touch sensitivity option is enabled.
The S pen is certainly a highlight. Its very fine tip allows for incredibly precise input, and 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity allow for a highly accurate input when drawing or handwriting. The touchscreen’s responsiveness was very smooth and snappy. Rotation was performed smoothly with only minor lag, and we found the physical buttons at the front very impressive overall. They are firm, easy to find, and they offer a very nice feedback.
Display
The 8-inch display’s 1280x800 resolution is only mediocre at best but is not uncommon in the mid-range bracket. That said, the predecessor already featured the exact same resolution three years ago.
Subjectively, the display was pretty nice overall. Brightness was above average, and contrast ratio and color representation were acceptable. Only the Apple iPad (2017) was equipped with a display that was even better than the one on our review unit.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 509 cd/m²
Contrast: 1060:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.45 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 4.5 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.11
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 TFT LCD, 1280x800, 8" | Samsung Galaxy Tab Active TFT, 1280x800, 8" | Lenovo Tab 4 8 IPS, 1280x800, 8" | Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 IPS, 1920x1200, 8" | Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 IPS, 1280x800, 8" | Apple iPad (2017) IPS, 2048x1536, 9.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -31% | -38% | -26% | -57% | 21% | |
| Brightness middle | 509 | 424 -17% | 455 -11% | 409.1 -20% | 419 -18% | 514 1% |
| Brightness | 477 | 426 -11% | 446 -6% | 402 -16% | 412 -14% | 485 2% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 85 -7% | 91 0% | 92 1% | 91 0% | 88 -3% |
| Black Level * | 0.48 | 0.7 -46% | 0.51 -6% | 0.56 -17% | 0.39 19% | 0.46 4% |
| Contrast | 1060 | 606 -43% | 892 -16% | 731 -31% | 1074 1% | 1117 5% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.45 | 5.7 -65% | 5.5 -59% | 4.1 -19% | 8.5 -146% | 1.4 59% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.17 | 14.8 -186% | 9.6 -86% | 13.8 -167% | 2.9 44% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.5 | 5.76 -28% | 5.5 -22% | 5.3 -18% | 10.3 -129% | 2.1 53% |
| Gamma | 2.11 104% | 2.36 93% | 2.23 99% | 2.2 100% | 2.6 85% | 2.22 99% |
| CCT | 7171 91% | 7236 90% | 7852 83% | 7603 85% | 6216 105% | 6647 98% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8437 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Colors seem somewhat pale on the Active 2, and blacks aren’t really black either. The comparatively high black level is unnoticeable when looking at photos or watching movies, though, and it has no negative effect on the display’s overall good impression. Focus and sharpness were excellent but somewhat lacking due to the low resolution. All things considered, the display seemed to fit the bill quite nicely, and the Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 8 is living proof that a higher resolution display is not necessarily better by default.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 69 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 23 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
Outdoor usability was quite good thanks to the display’s high brightness, and the display remained readable even in bright sunlight. Given the highly glossy nature of the display’s glass cover, a shady spot would be preferable and much less strenuous on the eyes, though.
Viewing angles were excellent for a TFT LCD panel, and we haven’t noticed distorted colors or inexplicable drops in brightness regardless of the viewing direction angle. Brightness distribution was pretty poor overall but had no noticeable effect in everyday use.
Performance
Processor
The Galaxy Tab Active 2 is equipped with Samsung’s own Exynos 7 Octa 7870 SoC featuring eight cores, an integrated LTE modem, a dual-channel memory controller, and an ARM Mali T830 MP1 GPU. Despite the fact that this SoC is almost two years old, it is still more than fast enough for most Android apps. 2016 games should also run fairly well on medium details. Battery life is decent thanks to the Exynos 7 Octa 7870’s impressive efficiency.
In our benchmarks, the Galaxy Tab Active 2 performed as expected. It scored somewhere in the middle of our test group in most tests and was neither the slowest nor the fastest of the bunch, the only exception being PCMark for Android’s work performance benchmark where the Active 2 outperformed the entire Android competition.
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | |
| Work 2.0 performance score | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Geekbench 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Compute RenderScript Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
The browsing experience with the preloaded Samsung browser was faster than on its competitors but was unable to keep up with Apple’s iPad (2017). Subjectively, browsing the web was snappy and smooth. Websites loaded fairly quickly and multiple open tabs were no problem whatsoever.
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 (Google Chrome 61.0.3163.98) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active (Chrome 40) | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 (Google Chrome 61.0.3163.98) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 (Google Chrome 61.0.3163.98) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active (Chrome 40) | |
| Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 (Google Chrome 61.0.3163.98) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 8 (Chrome 61) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 (Amazon Silk 58.2.3029.83.10) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | |
| Apple iPad (2017) | |
* ... smaller is better
Internal storage remained identical in size to its predecessor. And while strictly speaking 16 GB eMMC flash storage is acceptable and not uncommon in this price range we would have wished for more, especially considering the user accessible slice of just 9.5 GB out of the box. Read and write performance was mediocre at best, and storage can be expanded via a MicroSD card of up to 256 GB. The tablet supports offloading apps onto SD storage.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 | Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | Lenovo Tab 4 8 | Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 | Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -21% | 16% | -21% | -22% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 218.1 | 151.8 -30% | 265.1 22% | 135.1 -38% | 159.1 -27% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 54 | 42.81 -21% | 72.3 34% | 38.01 -30% | 47.23 -13% |
| Random Read 4KB | 25.96 | 20.24 -22% | 44 69% | 35 35% | 21.55 -17% |
| Random Write 4KB | 10.98 | 9.76 -11% | 7.1 -35% | 7.64 -30% | 11.51 5% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 78.6 | 84.8 8% | 87.7 12% | 51.1 -35% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 64.3 | 61.1 -5% | 14.6 -77% | 34.15 -47% |
Gaming
The Galaxy Tab Active 2’s ARM Mali T830 MP1 GPU should be fast enough to run most Android games smoothly on medium settings. We ran our tests accordingly and found no evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately, the display’s low resolution rears its ugly head through minor aliasing effects along the edges of objects.
Sensor controls were reliable and fast. The built-in motion sensor was very snappy and direct, and the touchscreen responded instantaneously to touch input even when things got hot and hectic.
Emissions
Temperature
The Galaxy Tab Active 2 kept cool at all times. Even under load we found no measuring points with a surface temperature of more than 35 °C. Most of the heat dissipation is focused on the upper part on both the front and back of the tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.5 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.4 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.9 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
Sound quality is only mediocre. The tablet’s maximum volume is too low for loud environments and to make matters worse it is also muffled by the protective cover. The resulting soundscape is so dull that one even fails to notice the complete lack of bass. The speakers are decent enough for phone calls and video chats provided that ambient noise is fairly low.
Apple iPad (2017) audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Frequency diagram (checkboxes selectable/deselectable!)
Energy Management
Power Consumption
All things considered, the Active 2 is a relatively power-efficient device. Only the Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 came even close. When both idle and under load, our review unit consumed less power than most of its competitors.
| Off / Standby |   0.16 / 0.22 Watt |
| Idle |  0.89 / 3.13 / 3.36 Watt |
| Load |
3.93 / 5.45 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 4450 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Tab Active mAh | Lenovo Tab 4 8 4850 mAh | Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 4800 mAh | Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 mAh | Apple iPad (2017) 8.827 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 23% | -19% | -141% | -0% | -131% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.89 | 0.6 33% | 1.1 -24% | 4.02 -352% | 0.99 -11% | 2.06 -131% |
| Idle Average * | 3.13 | 2.2 30% | 3.51 -12% | 6 -92% | 2.74 12% | 7.42 -137% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.36 | 2.5 26% | 4.14 -23% | 6.64 -98% | 2.83 16% | 7.47 -122% |
| Load Average * | 3.93 | 3.7 6% | 4.86 -24% | 7.34 -87% | 4.51 -15% | 9.45 -140% |
| Load Maximum * | 5.45 | 4.3 21% | 6.13 -12% | 9.6 -76% | 5.69 -4% | 12.31 -126% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
Battery life, unfortunately, is below average. In our real-world Wi-Fi test it lasted significantly shorter than its competitors, which was not particularly surprising: The Active 2 consumes more power than its 2015 predecessor yet the battery capacity has remained unchanged. It should still last long enough for a full day of usage.
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 4450 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Tab Active mAh | Lenovo Tab 4 8 4850 mAh | Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8 4800 mAh | Amazon Fire HD 8 2017 mAh | Apple iPad (2017) 8.827 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 18% | -17% | 7% | 22% | 6% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1357 | 1640 21% | 1207 -11% | 1382 2% | 2032 50% | 1496 10% |
| H.264 | 493 | 771 56% | 603 22% | 744 51% | 845 71% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 895 | 452 -49% | 877 -2% | 770 -14% | 764 -15% | |
| Load | 396 | 306 -23% | 276 -30% | 480 21% | 393 -1% | 225 -43% |
| WiFi | 861 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
No doubt: The Galaxy Tab Active 2 is a very tough all-rounder. The operating system is smooth and the device should be able to handle everyday tasks with ease. Internal storage is pretty limited, though, and while in theory the system does not require more storage space, an extra MicroSD card will become a necessity sooner rather than later. At least it supports MicroSD cards up to 256 GB in capacity.
Underneath its hardened and thick skin is a mid-range tablet. It is adequately equipped, and prospective customers will most likely end up purchasing it anyway due to the lack of rugged outdoor competition.
Whether or not the Galaxy Tab Active 2 will end up being useable in a workshop, garage, or a construction site remains to be seen. It is certainly tougher and more robust than most of its competitors, and it can become a very dependable companion on hikes and in the field. The display remains usable with gloves, and the included S pen allows for a very accurate and precise touch input.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2
- 12/22/2017 v6 (old)
Mike Wobker
Price comparison
